I Love you my dad

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Dr.
Nikola Tesla returned to New York after his Europe tour. With fond
memories and the grief of loss of his mother Dr. Tesla again began his
experimental work in his laboratory. But soon he overcame and conquered
this sorrow. It was the same year of 1892 when Dr. Nikola Tesla actually
received two of the most prestigious honours.

Before
his return to New York, Dr. Nikola Tesla was invited by Belgrade
municipal authorities to the city of Belgrade (capital of Serbia) to
address their citizen about his researches. On June 1, 1892, around 11
pm, Dr. Tesla arrived at the Belgrade Railway station. He was greeted by
thousands of enthusiastic people at the station itself, all of them
have come to see him, and all of them were proud of him and associate
him with his inventions as he was the son of soil of Serbia. All the
people presented him with flowers and gifts as he walked slowly through
them. Everyone was appreciating him and telling them that he was
Serbia’s greatest son. There was a specially decorated horse carriage
arranged for Dr. Tesla. He was very emotionally touched with this warm
welcome and hospitality.

He
modestly told everyone that he was fortunate to have fulfilled some of
his dreams till that time. But he further felt his goal to be yet far,
if all of his ideas come to fruition, and if he could help the humanity
through his inventions, he will consider himself to be proud son of
Serbia.

On 2nd
June 1893, he met the young Serbian King, Alexander Obrenovic. Dr.
Nikola Tesla told him that electricity will have to be introduced in
Belgrade city. The King was fascinated by Dr. Tesla’s ideas and
demonstrations. In the coming year itself i.e. in year 1893, Belgrade
city was electrified. It was a huge and widely celebrated event. The
Serbian King awarded Dr. Nikola Tesla with the Medal of St. Sava (Order of St. Sava) for extraordinary contribution to science.

The story of Dr. Nikola Tesla is one of faith, hope and belief. It is a story of what one individual can achieve and how a single person utterly dedicated to his cause and with unwavering faith in God can move mountains and change the world with his efforts.

When we last saw Dr. Tesla at the World Columbian Exposition, the efficacy of the AC transmission system had been proved and even major detractors like Dr. Kelvin had come round to see the potential and benefits of this system over the existing DC transmission system.

In the mean time due to an increase in his popularity following the success of the World Columbian Exposition, Dr. Tesla started becoming famous in the social circles where one day he met Thomas Commerford Martin. Thomas Martin was an American electrical engineer and Editor of Electrical World magazine. Between the years 1883 to 1909 Thomas Martin served as editor of the Electrical World and was a celebrated author. Incidentally he wasalso son of Lord Kelvin. Martin and Dr. Tesla became good friends.Thomas Martin also compiled and edited ‘The Inventions, Researches and Writings of Nikola Tesla’, a book, detailing the work of Dr. Nikola Tesla up to 1893. The book is a record of Tesla’s pioneering activities, research, and works. The book when published was considered ‘Bible’ of every electrical engineer. The book contains Forty-three chapters, most of them on different areas of research and inventions of Dr. Tesla. The first chapter is a brief biography while the next three chapters are transcripts of important lectures of Dr. Tesla. One of these covers his section of Westinghouse’s exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair. The book would go on to be a landmark in the electrical sciences. Martin and Dr. Tesla both profited from sales of the book, but Dr. Tesla insisted that its copies be given out for free. Dr. Tesla was completely unconcerned with the financial aspect of the book.

In the era where patents are being filed to legally secure ones control and monopoly over businesses and earn maximum profits through publications of one’s thoughts and to market oneself by getting ones autobiographies published, Dr. Nikola Tesla did the exact opposite. He was concerned neither about the fame nor the profits that came with the book, but was solely concerned with the advancing of science and its beneficial impact on mankind.

During the same period, using Dr. Nikola Tesla’s patents,Westinghouse Company won the bid to build a functioning power plant on the Niagara Falls. This was a great opportunity for Dr. Tesla. At that time Dr. Tesla was using his Tesla Coil as a prototype to be used as a means of communication. Dr. Tesla dreamed to use electric impulses to transmit linguistic words from one corner of the planet to another without wires. By 1893, Dr. Tesla’s theories on the possibility of the transmission of words by radio waves were proved through his lectures and demonstrations at Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania, St. Louis, Missouri, and the National Electric Light Association. Dr. Tesla’s demonstrations and principles were written about widely through various media outlets. Dr. Tesla perfected the technique to transmit messages wirelessly across 50 miles by 1895. But as Dr. Tesla prepared to perfect this technology for the greater good of mankind, a tragedy struck.

1st of May
1893 marked the commencement of the World Columbian Exposition in a grand style
and in full swing. There were almost hundred thousand (one lakh) people
witnessing this great fair on the very first day. The spectators enjoyed the
Exposition throughout the day visiting various places, buildings and special
exhibits, and as the night fell, they were amazed as if a casting spell fell at
the venue. Those who were present saw to their utter surprise and amazement the
vast expense of the fair being magnificently lightened up by a multitude of
lights running at full power on AC electricity that Dr. Nikola Tesla had
designed. This was the most incredible display of lighting, the world had ever
seen till then. This made the electricity building no less than a wonder of the
world.

Tesla
neon lights

In the
articles earlier, we have seen Dr. Nikola Tesla modifying the concept of gas
filled tubes by passing electric currents of high-voltage and high-frequency
through them. With this Dr. Tesla had crafted specially made gas filled tubes
and had bent them in various shapes. Further, he had illuminated them by
filling up various gases using high-frequency current. This spread of lights
displayed spectacular coloring effects which amazed all the visitors who had
come at the Expo. These lights were actual precursors to the neon tubes that we
see today everywhere in form of advertising banners and displays.

However, it
was only after the late 1980s that more efficient high-frequency ballasts
(chokes) and gas-bulbs were developed. These bulbs bare great similarities to
the bulbs and lamps developed by Dr. Tesla almost 100 years ago. It thus goes
on to prove that Dr. Nikola Tesla laid the foundation for fluorescent lighting.

It was
believed that Dr. Nikola Tesla developed and used florescent bulbs in his lab
some 40 years before the industry actually so called ’invented’ them and
started using them in general practice.

There was
one more notable experiment performed by Dr. Tesla in this fair. It was widely
known as ‘Tesla and the Egg of Columbus’